Need of the hour: Bijli, sadak, paani

The Budget is being presented in Parliament today and medicos have their own take on the subject. "I hope that whatever was promised in the common minimum programme of the government is fulfilled in this year''s Budget," says Dr Divya Palliwal, intern, Maulana Azad Medical College. The country is already losing out on a lot due to poor infrastructure and it is one of the sector that needs urgent attention.She says, "I think the Budget should emphasise on the infrastructural development of the country. A lot of foreign investors are shying away from investing in India due to lack of proper infrastructure and facilities and as a result we are missing out on both opportunities as well as foreign exchange."
Education and health are two of the areas, which require greater attention of the government. "Being a doctor myself, I am deeply concerned about the health of the country especially the rural health. The current share of GDP allocated to improvise the healthcare mechanism in our country is much less than what is provided in other countries. Even today, there are few doctors and inadequate medical services available to the rural population. How can we expect that people who cannot even source food for themselves will pay for their health services?" asks Dr Chandrakant Lahariya, a postgraduate student at Lady Hardinge Medical College.
Will allocating more funds improve the situation? Dr Palliwal says, "Allocating more funds will not improve the situation much. The need is to ensure that the funds allocated penetrate to the needy and strict action should be taken against those who do not utilise the funds appropriately."
Giving his take on taxes, Dr Lahariya remarks, "There should not be any kind of tax exemption for those earning more than the non-taxable income. However, the present tax rates should be reduced for all categories."
And ultimately, what is that this Budget should ensure? "The priority areas for the government should be to ensure basic amenities to the population that includes ''Bijli, Sadak and Paani'', apart from investing more money in rural development," he adds.